The shine will come: Spain debuts in the World Cup with an ex officio victory

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There are few certainties in sport, even less than in life.

A victory is never certain, neither is a defeat, that's the point, but, but, but.

Handball Spain.

Since Jordi Ribera has been the coach, almost seven years ago, every January the same group repeats the same movements, wipes away the same sweat, shares the same ideas.

And it achieves the same results.

This Thursday another World Cup began with a victory against Montenegro (30-25) and it is impossible to imagine this team outside the quarterfinals, even the semifinals.

During this time, several of the best players in the country's history retired,

or

, and nothing has changed.

Anyone who hasn't seen handball since the Tokyo Games or, even further back, since the two European Championships won can get hooked now;

he will find the same.

A team that defends, runs and creates.

Not the tallest, not the strongest, but the most united.

Against Montenegro, Spain did not even need a good game to win.

It took two moments, halfway between both sides, first to generate a three-goal advantage (15-12 at halftime) and then to consolidate it.

And that the game had everything to end in disappointment: it was the debut in a great championship, the team trained with many young people, Montenegro was extremely excited, excited, in the game of its life, and its goalkeeper,

, He was right, he came very close.

But

's team knew that doing their thing would be enough.

Dujshebaev's management

The team was never comfortable, but in those good times, two or three counterattacks by

helped them create the necessary distance for victory.

Tomorrow they will face Chile and on Monday Iran in a first phase that should not be more than a formality.

A kind of preparation before a main phase in which France, Slovenia or Poland will increase the demand.

As the coach showed yesterday, the goal these days is to save effort and keep all the players healthy.

That is why Joan Cañellas did not play yesterday, very veteran, but surely very important when the playoffs arrive.

That is why other thirty-somethings, such as

,

or

, did not assume the usual minutes.

And that's why

, the leader of the group, even took a long time to appear.

Jordi Ribera knows that if Spain wants to reach the World Cup final, even win it, the best player in the World Cup must be the oldest of the Dujshebaevs and it cannot happen, as on other occasions, that they reach the semifinals exhausted.

That is why his role will grow and his brother Dani will have more of the ball.

Yesterday both scored the same goals -four-, but Dani needed 11 shots.

The whole will depend on the management of both.

In sport there are few certainties, even less than in life, but, but, but, the Spain of handball.

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• Handball World Cup

• Articles Javier Sanchez